26 



NEW ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



Jan. 



ture of foreign material, and exiiibit probabty 

 the most lu-autifiil textures tliat have ever 

 been produced from Anieriean flocks and 

 looms. In many mills producino- fine-face 

 goods, foreign wools were formerly used for 

 both warp and filling. Since the change of 

 duty, American wool, in all these establish- 

 ments, is substituted for the warp, even of the 

 finest broadcloths, constituting two-fifths oC 

 the texture. The testimony which I have 

 from manufacturers is universal — that by care- 

 ful selection, the economical application of 

 American wools may be greatly extended. In- 

 stances are not wanting in other countries of 

 a distinctly marked national manufacture be- 

 ins developed in consequence of the necessity 

 of resorting to the products of domestic flocks 

 The high duty in France upon foreign wools, 

 which was fixed at oO per cent, in LSi'G, com- 

 pelled the French manufacturers of woolen diess 

 goods to resort to the fleeces produced on their 

 own soil. The protection gi\en to the agricul- 

 turists of France encouraged them to develop 

 the merino races supplied bj' the flocks of 

 the Kambouillet, until they produced sheep of 

 extraordinary size, and with a length and fine- 

 ness and libre hitherto unattained. To the ex- 

 clusive possession of these fleeces do the 

 P^-ench manufacturers ascribe the unparalleled 

 excellence of their merino-dress fabncs, — the 

 most pel feet of all known textures of wool. 

 So high became the excellence, and so great 

 the appreciation of this wool, that it no longer 

 required protection, as it was without a foreign 

 competitor; hence the abolition of the duty on 

 wool which took place in 1860, was assented 

 to freely by the French agriculturists. It was 

 in memory of this boon, which the flock of 

 Rambouillet had conferred upon France, that, 

 upon its threatened dispersion, the Empress 

 Eugenie, in 18o4, pledged herself to preserve 

 the (lock under her august protection. 



Let me by no means be understood to say, 

 that our flocks can at present supply us with all 

 the re(iui>ite material for our manufactures. 

 The wools of the third class, or carpet wools, 

 the coarse product of barbarous flocks, can 

 never be produced here, for we migiit as well 

 undertake; to breed buffaloes for their robes. 

 We are si ill greatly deficient in very fine short- 

 fibred wool, adapted for filling for broadcloth 

 or face goods, as well as in lombing wool of 

 English blood for worsteds. Both of these 

 varieties can be advantageously grown in this 

 country, and their production will be greatly 

 favored by the existing duties. These wools 

 should be produced, not in [>lace of, but as ad- 

 ditions to, the wools now mainly grown, and 

 which will be always chiefly in diinand. The 

 principal means of encouraging the growth of 

 the r<(|>ired fine wools, is for the manufactur- 

 ers to (lisrriminate in their prices ; and to be 

 willing to follow the example of one of the 

 mo?t eminent manufacturers of fine opera flan- 

 nels, who informs me that he has paid from 75 

 cents to a dollar per pound, while ordinary 



wools were worth but 50 cents, for brook- 

 washed fleeces of this character of wool grown 

 in Ohio. There.are localities, particularly in 

 the Middle States, where this wool can be 

 grown to great advantage. With adecjuate 

 prices, the peculiar passion for fine wool will 

 be developed in this country, as it is in Silesia 

 and Hungary, where the culture of noble wools, 

 as they are denominated, is prosecuted as the 

 most fascinating of agricultural pursuits. We 

 notice with pleasure, that eminent flock-mas- 

 ters, like Mr. Chamberlain of New York, have 

 been within the last few months adding to their 

 importations of Silesian sheep. The diffusion 

 of this admirable race — possessing e(jual fine- 

 ness and shortness of fibre, but of greater size, 

 yield, and stronger constitution, than the deli- 

 cate Saxons — would be an invalualile addition 

 to our agricultural resources. The value of 

 sheep of English bloo'd producing the combing 

 wool for worsteds, is being rapidly appreciated. 

 They are exhibited in all our agricultural fairs. 

 The r fitness for the neighborhood of large 

 markets, — as in such situations profit is fur- 

 nished from three sources : wool, mutton and 

 lambs. — and their adaptation for dairy and 

 wheat farms, where small flocks can be advan- 

 tageously kept, render the necessary supply of 

 this variety of wool only a question of time. 

 There is no question that this wool, long 

 claimed by the English as the exclusive pro- 

 duct of their island, can be equally well pro- 

 duced here. The specimens of the Leicester- 

 shire wool exhibited by Dr. Townsend of Ohio, 

 during the recent examination of the wool 

 samples, were pronounced by English wool- 

 sorters to be equal to the choicest locks of 

 England. In regard to these wools. Dr. 

 Townsend says, in a recently published essay, 

 "Should the demand for com!)ing wool con- 

 tinue or increase, it can be produced in this 

 State (Ohio), and other States on the North- 

 ern border, as cheaply and as good in every 

 respect as it can be produced in Canada; and 

 it cannot be good policy to import our comb- 

 ing wools when they may be so readily grown 

 at home." 



Resolved, By the National Association of Wool 

 Maniifaituicrs, at its third annual meeting, held 

 in the city of New York, on the 2J of October, 

 1867 :— 



1. The present tariff on wool and woolens is as 

 well adapted, as any legislation whith can now bo 

 devised, to promo e the growth and development 

 of wool maiuit'aeturin^ and wool growiiiR, and the 

 interests of consumers and the puhlic revenue. 



2. Confidence in the stahility of k\;xislan-)n hcing 

 essential to induce the investment of capital l)y 

 which agricultural and manufaeiurinii wealth is to 

 he dcvcli>pcil, it is of the liighest iini)oriancc that 

 tne tariff policy dclilieratcly adopted at the suRfces- 

 tion of those most affected l)y it should be persist- 

 ed in, and iliat the business arrangements which 

 have l)ecu made to conform to it should not be dis- 

 turbed. 



3. Experience having demonstrated the difficul- 

 ty of niljustiiig tile complicated relations of manu- 

 facturers with each other, and with the producers 

 of wool, it is de.'irable that no chauge, however 

 trivial, should be made in the present tarilf, unless 



